Northern Ireland Health and Social Services Estates Agency: Performance Targets 2004-05

Baroness Amos: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State has made the following Ministerial Statement.
	The targets, which have been set for 2004-05, are based on the strategic aims and objectives of the agency as set out in section 4 of its corporate and business plan. The targets are in line with the department's policy of seeking to improve the service provided to the agency's clients in terms of both quality and value for money and I am satisfied that they present a demanding challenge for the agency. A copy of the corporate and business plan will be placed in the Library of both Houses.
	The targets are as follows:
	Quality
	1. 95 per cent of the service provided by the agency's client support staff to external clients to be regarded as satisfactory, of which 35 per cent of the service to be regarded as either very good or excellent.
	2. 95 per cent of the service provided by the agency's project management staff to external clients to be regarded as satisfactory, of which 35 per cent of the service to be regarded as either very good or excellent.
	3. 95 per cent of the service provided by the agency's trust consultancy support staff to external clients to be regarded as satisfactory, of which 35 per cent of the service to be regarded as either very good or excellent.
	4. 90 per cent of the service provided by the agency's specialist engineering staff to external clients to be regarded as satisfactory, of which 30 per cent of the service to be regarded as either very good or excellent.
	Throughput/Service Delivery 
	5. Complete eight firecode audits on HSS bodies by 31 March 2005.
	6. Complete testing against Health Service guidance and relevant British and European standards and issue test reports to the authorised person in respect of 110 sterilizers and washer disinfectors by 31 March 2005, based on an estimate of 99 installed machines at April 2004 and 11 new machines installed in-year.
	7. Respond to requests for clinical engineering support within 10 working days of receipt of a request.
	8. Issue all medical device/equipment alerts with an "immediate action" level of urgency designation initiated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) within three working days on receipt of final MHRA alert (provided that no further consultation is involved).
	9. Issue all medical device/equipment alerts with an "action" level of urgency designation initiated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) within five working days on receipt of final MHRA alert (provided that no further consultation is involved).
	Financial Management
	10. Ensure that the agency lives within its running cost allocation for the year.
	11. Demonstrate that the full costs of the agency are recouped, on a notional basis, through service level agreements with its clients.

Public Guardianship Office: Key Performance Indicators and Targets 2004-05

Lord Filkin: I have today set the following key performance indicators and targets for the Public Guardianship Office (PGO) executive agency for 2004-05.
	KPI 1: To increase the satisfaction of its customers in the delivery of its services.
	Target:
	To achieve an overall customer satisfaction rating, covering professional and lay receivers, of at least 75 per cent as measured by its annual customer survey.
	KPI 2: To Increase the proportion of effective visits by the Lord Chancellor's visitors.
	Targets:
	To maintain a minimum of 6,000 visits per year to include all receivership division clients.
	To achieve 80 per cent effective visits over the year.
	During 2004-05, to develop and implement a system to measure customer satisfaction in the visitor's service.
	KPI 3: To maintain an effective system to collect and review accounts, and use this process to review the case management regime to ensure that it is meeting the needs of each customer and client.
	Targets:
	To collect 60 per cent of accounts within two calendar months of the accounting end date, 85 per cent within four calendar months of the accounting end date, and 100 per cent within six calendar months of the accounting end date, referring cases to the Court of Protection where necessary or taking other steps to ensure proper accounts are produced on behalf of clients (applies to protection clients only i.e. those clients who have an external receiver).
	To complete the review of, or to have requested further information for, 100 per cent of accounts within 20 working days of receipt (to apply to both receivership and protection clients).
	KPI4: To deliver an improved service to clients:
	Targets:
	Correspondence
	To respond to 20 per cent of correspondence within five working days of receipt; 50 per cent of correspondence within 10 working days of receipt; and 98 per cent of correspondence within 15 working days of receipt.
	Release of funds
	Where access to a client's capital is requested, the PGO will give directions to the Court Funds Office (CFO), or dispatch directions to an external receiver within five working days in 80 per cent of cases and within 10 working days in 95 per cent of cases; or explain why it cannot release funds.
	Applications for Receivership
	Provided it has all the appropriate forms and information required in support of an application, PGO will list a case for hearing and notify the applicant within 10 working days in 95 per cent of cases. The hearing date will be within 35 working days of the date the hearing was listed in 95 per cent of cases.
	After the hearing, PGO will notify applicants of the outcome of the hearing and request any further information the court requires within five working days in 95 per cent of cases.
	PGO will issue orders within 10 working days in 95 per cent of cases where all information and documents have been received.
	Closing cases
	Where a client dies and PGO has a complete application for final directions, it will prepare and dispatch directions to transfer assets to personal representatives within 15 working days in 30 per cent of cases, within 20 working days in 80 per cent of cases, and within 25 working days in 100 per cent of cases.
	Enduring Powers of Attorney
	To register and return 98 per cent of correctly lodged EPAs, where there are no objections, within five working days of the end of the statutory waiting period.
	Accuracy of Orders
	To reduce the level of orders returned with errors to 3 per cent.
	KPI 5: To demonstrate improvements in efficiency by meeting a unit cost target.
	Targets:
	To meet a unit cost target of not more than £510 per case.